Homemade Baby Food: Do you have the time?

If you already have a child or will be having one soon you may have considered the idea of making your own baby food.  You are probably wondering do I have the time?  Chances are you do have the time.  Making your own baby food is not as difficult or time consuming as you may think.  Before I started my son on solids I planned to make my own baby food but was not sure how it would work out.  Considering the fact that some nights I cannot even find the time to boil some pasta for dinner,  I was not sure when I would find the time to make baby food.  I have now learned it is so much quicker and easier than I could have imagined.  Now let me just say I have not made anything too difficult yet so I am sure it gets more difficult as your baby starts to eat a wider variety of foods.
The first food that I made for my son was peas.  I bought one container of store bough stage 1 peas so I would know about how thin I should make them.  To make the baby food I bought a bag of frozen peas, cooked them, and pureed them.  That was it I was done!  It takes about 5 minutes to cook the peas then maybe about 2 or 3 minutes to put the food in a food processor and puree them.  All you do is put the peas in the food processor and then slowly add a little water until it is the right consistency.  To store the baby food you do not even need to get anything special if you do not want to.  You can simply spoon the puree into ice cube trays freeze and then pop them out and store in tupperwear or ziplocs.
One advantage of making your own baby food is you know exactly what you are feeding to your baby.  Another huge advantage is that it is so much cheaper.  It costs about $1-$2 for a bag of frozen vegetables versus about  $.50 per jar of baby food.  You can also use fresh fruits and vegetables if they are in season!  So for the price of 2 to 4 jars of baby food you can make about 30 servings. So I think for most people it is worth a shot.

Making a Baby Registry

If you are an expectant parent one thing on your mind is probably where should I register, and what should I register for?
One thing I learned from my baby shower is do not register for clothes or blankets! Unless you are absolutely in love with an adorable outfit, or want a specific blanket for the nursery do not bother! I was overwhelmed with the amount of clothes that I received at my shower. I cannot even tell you how many clothes we got at the shower that my son never even got a chance to wear. Also any clothes you do get see if it will be the right size for the right season. If your baby is due in May and someone gave you a fleece swaddler in size 0-3 months you will never use it.  The only clothes that may be worth registering for is clothes in larger sizes.  Trust me you will get tons of the small size clothes.  A lot of people will also bring an outfit for the baby the first time they meet him or her. If they gave you a gift receipt your best plan is to return it. The same goes for blankets. We got so many blankets for my son it was crazy. I registered for one blanket and got about 20!
Put items of all price ranges on your registry. Not everyone has $100 to spend on a gift. Some people will get the big items. Others will go in on one big item with some friends. However, most people will probably feel more comfortable buying one moderate priced item or a few inexpensive items. If you put a decent amount of inexpensive items on your registry people will be able to put together a nice basket for you with out having to spend too much. Best of all you will be getting items that you want and need.
Register at more than one store. It is best to register at more than one store that way people can go where ever is convenient for them. This way if someone is running into Target they can get you something off your registry while they are there. This is a good idea because some people may not live near a store you are registering at. Another good reason to register at multiple places is that a lot of stores have some kind of incentive for registering. Some places will give you a gift, gift card, or discount on unpurchased items.
So what should you put on your registry?
The Big Items:

• Crib
• Swing
• Bassinet
• Car Seat
• Breast Pump (If you plan on breast feeding)

Smaller Things

• Baby Monitor
• Sheets
• Boppy Pillow (or some kind of infant support pillow)
• White Noise Machine ( they are a life saver! )
• Bottle Starter set
• Diapers in various sizes and wipes ( you can never have too many )
• Baby Care Products ( shampoo, lotion, medicine, grooming kit, first aid kit....)
• Play Gym
• Infant Seat

My New Blog

Let me start with why I am starting this blog.  My best friend recently started an awesome blog, and it has inspired me to do the same.  This blog will be everything and anything that has to do with being a mom.  I am a new first time mom.  I have an amazing six month old son who is my world.  He is my everything.  I want this to be a place where other moms can share their comments about their own experiences.  I also want this to be a place for new or expecting moms to be able to provide each other with support.  This blog will contain great tips on everything from finding great deals, help deciding which products to buy, even making homemade baby food.